Taro
by Ciaccona
Summary: Before Light Yagami was Kira, Ryuk dropped another notebook in the human world: 13 yr old Taro is now drawn into the death match between Kira and L -continuation of Death Note pilot chapter-
1. Chapter 1

It was nearing midnight, but the boy didn't show any signs of sleepiness. Ryuk watched from his place by the glass sliding door, casting a long, ghoulish blue shadow across the boy's bedroom and up the far wall.

"So, what are you gonna do now?"

Taro Kagami stared down at the notebook on his desk. It looked like any ordinary notebook: thin, black, full of ruled pages. The only unusual thing about it was the mysterious English title scrawled across the front cover: DEATH NOTE. He hadn't known what it meant when he first picked it up, but he understood it perfectly now: the notebook gave him the power to kill, simply by knowing a person's name and face.

No, his understanding went much deeper than that: he knew what it was like to die.

"What are you thinking so hard about, eh?"

Taro opened his fist to reveal the eraser he'd been clutching in his right hand. It looked even more ordinary than the notebook itself: plain and only slightly worn at the corners, as if it had hardly ever been used. It was so strange to think that this seemingly everyday object had brought him back from the realm of the dead.

"Well? Aren't you gonna to write down any names?"

Clenching his fist around the eraser, Taro looked over his shoulder at the insistent shinigami. "I can't."

Ryuk's eternal grin widened. "Too scared? You could become pretty powerful with that death note. Humans love power."

Taro shook his head. "At first I thought that maybe I could use it to get rid of bad people… but when Miura wrote all those names, he went crazy. He was even going to kill himself! Maybe it's just too much for a school kid. It's probably better if I don't use the notebook."

"Heh, heh, heh. You're pretty smart, Taro. I don't think you would go crazy."

There was no reply. Ryuk watched the boy turn back to the notebook, black hair falling forward over his round, young face. He thought that Taro's eyes already seemed much darker, much older than they had a few days ago, when he had first found the death note. Humans were so strange. They changed so quickly, especially when they were as young as this one.

"So does this mean you're gonna give it back?"

Taro kept staring at the notebook, one clenched fist resting against the edge of the desk. "What will happen if I do that?"

"You won't be possessed by a shinigami anymore. And you won't remember anything about the death note, or gods of death. It would be really boring if you did that."

"Boring? Do shinigami get bored?" Taro was looking at him now, curious.

"Sure. Nothing to do in the shinigami world. That's why I came to the human world in the first place."

Taro thought this over for a moment. He didn't want to lose his memories of the death note, or of Ryuk (even if he was a bit frightening). And he didn't really want to give the notebook back anyway: its power scared him, but it also gave him confidence. It was an assurance that he didn't ever have to let anybody hurt him again, because he had this secret power and knowledge that was all his and nobody else's. Granted, he'd be reluctant to ever use it, but that didn't make him any more willing to give it up.

"If you were so bored in the shinigami world, does that mean you dropped this death note in the human world on purpose?" he asked suddenly, turning around.

"Hnh? You could say that," Ryuk admitted.

"Then if I give it back to you, how do I know you won't just drop it for someone else to find?"

"Heh, heh, heh." The shinigami's eyes gleamed yellow in the dark.

Taro shook his head. "I can't give it back to you, Ryuk. I don't trust anybody else with it."

"So you're going to just keep it, without killing anybody? That doesn't sound like fun."

To Taro, it sounded like the shinigami wouldn't be satisfied until he'd turned the boy into a proper serial killer.

"As long as I keep the notebook, nobody can use it to kill me or my parents, or anybody else. The police already burned Miura's notebook, so I just have to make sure nobody ever finds out about this one."

"You know, if you don't give it back, I'll have to keep following you until you die."

"Yeah, I know."

"You're not that interesting. And that school you go to every day is so boring. You should know that if you want to make me follow you around like that, I might just kill you and find someone else to follow. One human or another, it doesn't make any difference to a shinigami."

Taro's mouth dropped open. Ryuk was shrugging as though they were discussing the weather or something equally mundane.

"Heh, heh, heh. You look like you're going to change your mind."

"If I die, it doesn't make any difference to you?"

"Nope. There are billions of you humans."

"Then what's this for?" Taro held up the barely-used eraser.

Ryuk shrugged again. "I don't know. It's not mine. Shinigami don't bring back humans they've killed."

Taro was confused. "It's not yours? Then how come you gave it to me?"

Ryuk's grin widened again. "It's stolen."

The boy's brow and nose wrinkled, much to Ryuk's amusement. He looked far too young to be giving such a severe look of disapproval, especially to a shinigami.

"You don't approve of stealing? Since it's powerful enough to undo even a death note, I'd say it's pretty valuable."

"I don't care if it's stolen, but what if the shinigami or… well, whoever owns it finds out that I've got it?"

Ryuk chuckled at this, but didn't reply. This Taro kid sure was sharp. Nobody in their right mind would want to be the one holding the death eraser when its original owner came to claim it back.

"Stop following me."

"Hnh? What's that?" The shinigami advanced on the boy, bent double and grinning. "Does this mean you're going to give up the death note?"

"N-no. You, you can't take it back unless I give it up willingly." Taro could hear the pitch of his own voice rising. The two were almost nose-to-nose now; Taro's entire field of vision was filled by Ryuk's ghastly, grinning face. "And you said that shinigami and humans can't hurt each other directly. So how will you kill me if I don't give you the notebook?"

Ryuk stopped dead. The human boy was right. The police had burned the second death note, and Ryuk didn't have another spare.

Hilarious.

Taro was startled to see Ryuk burst into a fit of cackling laughter, head thrown back and eyes rolling.

"You forgot, Taro. As long as you have my death note, I have to follow you. That's the rule!"

"I'll give you this if you stop following me!"

"What?" Ryuk stopped and stared. The boy had extended his hand, palm open, holding the eraser. "I don't want that thing back. It's no use to me."

"You said it was powerful enough to undo a death note. So that must mean that if I give you this instead of the notebook, you won't have to obey the rule about following me." Taro's eyes shone faintly in the dark: his childish face would have seemed so open and honest if not for those eyes.

"Heh heh! You're pretty brave, to bargain with a shinigami."

"You can either follow me around for my whole boring life, or you can take this and go. So take it."

Ryuk's eyes were gleaming again. The eraser was dangerously incriminating, as well as completely useless to him. However, he was willing to bet – quite literally – that he wouldn't have to have it for long, and he was also feeling rather benevolent toward this daring human boy. He reached a very long arm over and picked the eraser out of the boy's hand with his claw-like fingernails.

"I gotta say it, you've got guts. Pity you wouldn't write any more names in the death note, eh? Well, I'll see you around."

Taro didn't know if Ryuk meant that literally, or only as a farewell. "See you," he whispered anyway, and watched as the shinigami flared his narrow wings and disappeared into the night sky.

Edited 25/10/10


	2. Chapter 2

"…coming up after the break!"

The television blared in the background as Taro mindlessly cycled through his scales, fingers flying light and sure across faux-ivory piano keys.

"…for all your indoor and outdoor decorating needs!"

A major.

"Looking for a bargain? Lowest prices…"

F sharp minor.

"…"

E flat major.

"Be sure to tune in!"

G minor.

"…live broadcast from the ICPO…"

E major. Wait, what?

The piano fell silent as Taro turned to stare at the television. He saw a rather grim looking man, seated behind a sign which read 'LIND. L. TAILOR'. The man introduced himself as 'L'. The single-letter name was only vaguely familiar to Taro, who had always imagined it as some kind of shadowy organisation.

Despite the fact that Taro's school had only just been reopened, he had already heard all the playground gossip about the mysterious 'Kira': a dark vigilante who destroyed criminals by making, among other grotesque things, their eyeballs pop out of their heads. He hadn't believed a word of it. But now this?

Taro had never seen a detective talking to a criminal on television like this before. The police were apparently zeroing in on Kira's location. Were they going to televise that, too? He watched, dumbfounded, as Lind. L. Tailor began to address Kira directly.

And suddenly clutched at his chest.

"No way!"

Taro leapt to his feet as Lind. L. Tailor collapsed in his chair. A name, a face and a heart attack? There was no mistaking what had just happened: somebody had just used a death note to kill him.

"I need to hear that practice, Taro!" came his mother's shrill reminder from somewhere upstairs. Ignoring her, Taro knelt on the piano stool, lifted up the top of the piano and stuck his hand down into the dark space where he had hidden his death note. It was still there. He spun to look at the television and saw a single letter L appear onscreen, accompanied by a synthetic, yet surprised voice.

"Unbelievable… Kira, it seems you can kill – "

"Taro?"

" – even being there in person."

Taro carelessly let the lid of the piano slam and scooted to his knees in front of the television.

"I would never have believed it – "

"Taro, what are you doing? What was that noise?" Taro inched closer to the screen and turned the sound up. He could hear his mother's footsteps on the stairs.

" – was an inmate, whose execution was scheduled for this time today. That was not me."

"Taro! You should be doing your piano practice, not watching television." His mother marched into the sitting room and reached for the remote control.

"But I just want to see this broadcast! It's really important!"

"I, L, am real! I – "

The television screen went blank.

"No!" Taro punched the button on the front of the set, but it was on standby mode.

"Practice. Now." His mother pointed with the remote control in the direction of the piano and marched off upstairs, taking the remote with her. Taro waited for her to leave, then crawled behind the television set. Following the power cable, he removed and replaced the plug, then switched the set back on to see nothing but static.

"Shit!" The broadcast was over.

Taro switched the television off, returned to the piano and sat down. The room seemed strangely silent now: he could almost hear his own frantic heartbeat. Resting his fingers on the keys for a moment, he sighed shakily and began to play a piece of Bach which he'd studied to death two months ago. He had played it so many times that his fingers knew their way automatically, leaving him free to think about what he had just seen.

Someone out there had another death note. They were using it to make a name for themselves killing criminals: Taro felt a twinge of something akin to jealousy. It was what he'd imagined for himself, before he saw Miura driven crazy with too much killing. Kira must be a strong person. But Kira had made a mistake: from what he'd seen of the broadcast, Taro knew that the death of Lind. L. Tailor had been some sort of victory for the real L.

On live television, as some faceless overseer's mere pawn: what a humiliating way to die. The boy spent a second wondering what Lind. L. Tailor's crime had been.

But at present, Taro had more pressing things to worry about. He did _not _want to end up getting accused of being Kira.

There were exactly three other people who knew the truth behind the mysterious heart attacks at his school: police detective Takagi, police inspector Yamanaka and his classmate Miura. None of them knew that Taro still had a death note, but they would surely be reading the signs and thinking of him: the first among them to come across the deadly notebook. Would it be better to come clean now, or to stay silent?

Neither of these was really an option. Telling the police anything was as good as telling L, and if L ever found out about the notebook Taro was hiding, he would become an instant Kira suspect. But if he flatly denied knowing anything and L still found out, it would look even worse. To avoid suspicion, he needed to admit just enough to maintain his lie, and find a better hiding place for that notebook in case anyone came looking.

And what about the real Kira? This had to be the work of a shinigami: possibly Ryuk, although Taro had sent him back to the shinigami world, noteless, just a few weeks before. Taro had never been comfortable with the idea of anyone else owning a death note, but Kira had only ever killed criminals until L came along. What if he found out about Taro and his death note? Would Kira try to kill him? Try to frame him? Try to coerce him? It was too dangerous: better to avoid Kira's attention altogether. All he had to do was hide the notebook, act innocent, and hope that neither L nor Kira would find any reason to come after him.

"Telephone, Taro."

Bach fell silent as something tapped on Taro's shoulder. It was his mother, rapping him with the cordless while balancing an overflowing basket of laundry against her hip. He took the phone without thanking her.

"Hello?"

"Hey did you see the guy on TV just now?"

"Miura?"

"He was talking live on air and he just died! And I just found it again on the net, and guess what he died of?"

"A heart attack?"

"A heart attack! Yeah… um, so you were watching?"

"Sort of," Taro mumbled. He didn't really feel like talking to Miura right now (or ever), but couldn't bring himself to just hang up.

There was a pause before Miura spoke in an urgent whisper: "So… so do you think it's the death note again?"

"The police burned it, remember?" Taro rested his elbow on the piano keys so he could prop his chin up with one hand. The piano protested with a dull discord.

"Yeah… but what if it came back? I mean 'cause, we don't really know anything about it, right? Maybe you can't just get rid of it that easily."

Taro stared blankly while Miura rattled off several theories about how the death note might have survived burning and fallen into someone else's hands. For someone who did so well at school, Miura could sure be slow: he seemed completely convinced that there was only one death note in existence.

It occurred to Taro that if what he had told the police – that his and Miura's death notes were one and the same – were true, then maybe he would be thinking along the same lines as Miura. In which case, it would be a good idea to actually listen to Miura and copy whatever he said or did.

"So, I'll see you in about twenty minutes."

"Huh?" It seemed that while Taro was distracted, Miura had managed to invite himself over.

"We'll go and ask if we can talk to those two detectives again. Bye!"

Taro sighed in frustration as the line went dead.


	3. Chapter 3

True to his word, Miura showed up twenty minutes later. He was a lanky, bespectacled boy with a permanently nervous air about him, and today he seemed even more restless than usual. He fidgeted with his shirt sleeves while they made their way to the police station, talking incessantly about Kira: where he or she might be, how they might have found the notebook, what they might do next.

"Hey, what did you do with that eraser?" he asked suddenly. "Maybe we should have brought it with us! In case they find Kira, you know?"

"I, uh…" Taro floundered, cursing silently at himself. Of course they would want to know about the eraser! How could he explain its disappearance? He couldn't bring up the shinigami now: not only was it far-fetched, but Miura might start to guess what else Taro hadn't been entirely honest about.

"Miura, do you really think they would want to bring back all the criminals Kira has killed?" he said, after a rather-too-long pause.

"That's not what I mean," Miura replied, giving the other boy a glance. Was he suspicious? "If you give the eraser to the police, they won't have to worry so much about getting killed by Kira. You do still have it, right?"

"Not exactly," Taro muttered, looking at his feet. "It's gone. I threw it away."

"What? Why?" Miura exclaimed, gaping.

Taro continued to hang his head in shame. "I… I was afraid, Miura," he said quietly, as if it were something painful to admit.

"You didn't have to go and throw it away. You could've just given it to me. I wouldn't have minded," said Miura, oblivious. "Where did you throw it? Maybe we could find it again."

"No. Public litter bin, it will be long gone by now." Taro sighed and kicked at a small stone in his path.

"That sucks." Miura seemed to have bought it; Taro relaxed slightly. He needed to start thinking further ahead. It wouldn't be good to be taken by surprise like that again, especially not in front of the police.

They arrived at the station to find it in a state of mild chaos. The television broadcast had provoked a huge public reaction: one that the small local police station was hardly equipped to deal with. There wasn't a police officer in sight, but the two schoolboys had to squeeze their way through a small crowd before they could speak to the harried-looking woman at the desk.

"We need to talk to detective Takagi or inspector Yamanaka," Miura announced.

"What is the situation?" the woman asked. "Is it an emergency?"

"It's about Kira."

"I see. You cannot speak to Takagi or Yamanaka. Detective Tanaka is handling – "

"Why not? Can we leave a message or something?"

The woman seemed vaguely annoyed, but replied, "They are no longer police officers. Is there a reason you can't speak to Tanaka instead?"

Taro trod heavily on Miura's foot and said, "Those two were investigating a case at my school about a month ago. That's why we want to talk to them."

"I'm afraid they both resigned yesterday."

"They resigned? Why?" Taro wondered, startled.

"Inspector Yamanaka has gone into retirement. Now, do you want to speak to Tanaka?" The woman fixed him with an even stare which clearly said that she didn't think two schoolboys were worth Tanaka's time. And considering their outlandish story, she could have been forgiven for it.

"What about Takagi?"

"As of yesterday, he is no longer a police officer and I am not at liberty to give out his details. If you want to contact him, I'm sure you can find him in a telephone directory." She was looking rather sour by now. "If you have any information pertaining to the Kira investigation, you may call the number on this card."

"Sorry," said Taro, although he wasn't sure what exactly he was apologising for. Miura took the card and they left the police station together.

"But don't you think it's weird? That they both resigned like that? I mean, even Yamanaka didn't look old enough to retire. Think it has anything to do with Kira?"

"Give it a rest, Miura," Taro begged.

"I think that Kira definitely has the death note," Miura continued. "We should ring this number."

"We? You can if you want. Nobody will believe you. There's no point talking to anybody if it's not Takagi or Yamanaka."

Miura shrugged. "You're probably right. Maybe they won't believe us, but don't you think we should still try? We know how Kira kills people. That's not something we can just keep to ourselves!"

"Think about it, Miura. We aren't the only two people who know this, remember? Takagi and Yamanaka know, and they're police officers. But when we come to talk to them, we find out that they've both just resigned?"

"Are you… are you saying that maybe Takagi and Yamanaka are Kira?"

Taro shook his head, trying to get his thoughts straight. "I don't think so. They know that we know. If one of them was Kira, they would have killed us and probably each other by now."

"So why would they resign, then? Wouldn't they want to catch Kira?"

"I don't know." Taro sighed and stuck his hands in his pockets. "They probably know way more about the Kira case than we do. If they both decided to stay out of it, then I'm gonna stay out of it too."

"But… we can't just – "

"You can do whatever you want, Miura. I'm going home."

Taro turned his back and slouched off. Miura stared forlornly after him, wondering what it was about himself that nobody liked.

Miura had never had much in the way of friends. He didn't know what it was, but something about him just attracted bullies like a magnet. And although he had always regarded Taro (the other school loser) as a sort of comrade, it seemed like even Taro didn't want to be around Miura for long.

Sighing, Miura turned the small card over in his hands. Taro was right: nobody would believe what he had to say, but he wouldn't let that stop him from trying.

* * *

"He came back to life when you erased his name from the notebook?"

"Yup."

Matsuda tried to keep his face looking appropriately grim, but he just couldn't take this Miura kid seriously. He thought of asking for the names of the friend and two police officers allegedly involved, but decided it wasn't worth the trouble. Why did he always end up interviewing the whack jobs?

"Please read this over, make sure your details are correct and sign here." Not that it mattered; this kid's story was going straight into the 'crazy' files.

Miura signed and handed the piece of paper back to Matsuda. "Thank you sir, for listening to me," he said quietly. "I know it seems insane, but it's the truth."

"It's okay," said Matsuda, flashing a kind grin as he showed Miura the door. "The truth can be pretty strange sometimes. You know your way from here? Okay, then. Bye… phew." Closing the door, Matsuda raked a hand through his hair and shook his head. He had to give the kid credit for creativity, but it was a waste of time too.

* * *

"I'm not a police detective anymore. I'm afraid I can't help you." Takagi's voice was firm.

"Why?" Taro couldn't understand it.

"You want to know why I resigned? Fine. I suppose if anyone has the right to know…" There was a pause; Taro could hear Takagi coughing at the other end of the line. "Yamanaka and I didn't resign voluntarily. We lost our jobs. But it doesn't matter. I won't fight for a job I don't want, and I won't risk my life for a cause I don't believe in."

"But that means…"

"Yes, I support what Kira does. I've seen too many unforgivable crimes go unpunished. Look, take my advice: just keep your head down and forget all about the notebook. Kira doesn't mess around, so don't put yourself or your family in danger. Don't go playing hero where you're not wanted, kid."

"I wasn't going to – "

"I'm serious! Just stay out of Kira's way and you won't get hurt!"

Taro was silent, eyes wide. Had he just been threatened? He didn't know: it felt like his brain had ground to a halt.

Takagi cleared his throat. "Look, I didn't mean to yell at you, but you really need to take this on board. Don't talk to anyone about the notebook. You'll be safe if you just shut up and stay put. Okay?"

"…Yes sir."

"Good. Now do me a favour and don't call this number again."

There was a crackle and a clack as Takagi hung up. Taro listened to the tone and slowly released the breath he'd been holding.

Takagi: Kira. Was it possible? No, he hadn't thought so before, but now he couldn't think clearly; he couldn't remember how he'd reached that conclusion. All rational thought was driven completely out of his mind by fear.

_Kira doesn't mess around…_

He was barely aware of himself as he made his way over to the piano and lifted the notebook out of its hiding place. He could still remember the kanji: it hadn't been that long ago, and Ryuk had been right there, telling him how easy it would be to kill them if he memorised the names…

… _so don't put yourself or your family in danger._

Lifting pen from paper, Taro stared at the page and counted.

Forty seconds.

He picked up the phone and pressed redial.

_Just stay out of Kira's way and you won't get hurt._

"Takagi speaking."

"Oh!" Taro physically flinched in surprise, fumbling the phone and almost dropping it.

"Who is this?" Takagi demanded, in a tone that said he knew very well who it was.

"I'm sorry sir! I just pressed redial by mistake!" Without waiting for a response, Taro hung up and stared at the death note in unblinking disbelief. The name was right there in front of him: the ink had barely dried. No cause of death. Takagi should have died of a heart attack, but by some strange twist of fate he'd escaped.

"There's no way the death note could have failed," Taro whispered to himself. "Maybe it can't be used to kill the owner of another death note? No, Miura's notebook worked on me… I must have made a mistake with the name. What was I thinking?"

He blinked and snapped the notebook shut: it was as if he'd woken up from a trance. The knowledge that he'd just tried to kill a person hung unpleasantly overhead, like a fog in the room. The memory of Ryuk's cackling laughter seemed to echo inside his head.

Clutching the notebook to his chest, he gripped the corners with enough force to turn his fingers bone-white. His mind was in turmoil: even worse than trying to kill Takagi, was the wish that he hadn't failed.


	4. Chapter 4

The similarities were uncanny: the clock nearing midnight, the shinigami towering silently in the doorway and the boy, bent sleeplessly over a notebook.

Ryuk regarded Light Yagami with gleaming eyes. There were similarities, yes. Put the two scenes in front of any other shinigami and they probably wouldn't be able to tell which was which, but Ryuk knew that there was a subtle, yet definite difference between Light and Taro. Humans were not all exactly the same.

"This kid… I need to kill him."

Ryuk glared over Light's shoulder at the computer screen, but it was a mess of words and numbers.

"What kid?" he asked, prompting Light for an explanation so he wouldn't have to decipher all that data.

"His name is Miura. He approached the police the day after Takagi and Yamanaka lost their jobs."

Miura. Ryuk chuckled to himself. "Wasn't that the day you killed the fake L?"

Light's eyes narrowed at the mention of his old humiliation, but he nodded. "It says here that he was talking about a notebook, but the police didn't take him seriously. The details are sketchy, but it sounds a lot like the same story that got Yamanaka fired. Why didn't they make the connection?"

It seemed terribly obvious to him: one person with a crazy story was one thing (the police files were always full of them) but two completely separate people with the same crazy story were quite another. These people had definitely come in contact with a death note. It was sketchy, but according to their stories, the death note had been destroyed. Light didn't have the power to question these people and find out what else they knew, but L certainly did. It was better to just kill them now.

"Didn't you kill Yamanaka already?" said Ryuk, not following.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is that he told members of the investigation about a notebook. I found the whole story in the police files on my dad's computer. It's lucky they thought he was crazy; they didn't even bother to properly record what he said."

Light leafed back through the death note, stopping at a particular page. Scrawled haphazardly in large letters was the name LIND. L. TAILOR, directly followed by the names of Yamanaka and Takagi in neat kanji. He glanced up at the calendar: Takagi should have been dead for nearly a week by now, but it would be a long time before anybody figured it out. Since the fake L incident, Light had become much more proactive about protecting himself. He would not be humiliated again. He had to stay a step ahead of L: fortunately, his father's access to police information allowed him to do just that.

"Two people with the same story… it's definitely something L should have noticed, but I guess even the great L can't do everything by himself. It's taken me nearly a month to trawl through all these files by myself, so some of his underlings must have screwed up." Pausing, Light flipped forward to the next blank page. "L is on the lookout for heart attacks, so as long as I make it seem like an accident, I should be able to kill Miura without drawing attention. I have his name and his details right here, all I need is to see his face."

"What about his friend?" asked the shinigami.

Light was a little surprised; he didn't think Ryuk had bothered to read what was on the screen. "I'll check it out just to be safe, but it sounds to me like his friend is either imaginary, or already dead. The effect of the death note can't be reversed, so this thing about people coming back to life must have been a lie to cover up what he'd done."

With a self-confident smirk, Light began to construct a plan. He was too focused to notice Ryuk's muffled laughter in the background.

* * *

BOY DIES IN SCHOOL BUS TRAGEDY

L's face was expressionless as he stared at the headline on his computer screen. To anyone observing him, it might have looked as though he'd fallen asleep with his eyes open, or drifted off into a daydream and lost track of time altogether. But Matsuda knew better: this was the very face Ryuzaki wore when he did all of his deepest thinking. It was an honour really, to know such a detail about the world's most famously secretive detective. Matsuda had never imagined that he'd ever get the chance to work with the celebrated L, let alone meet him in person and uh, fetch his coffee.

Not wanting to disturb Ryuzaki's no doubt brilliant thought process, Matsuda set the coffee down as quietly as possible; making sure that the bowl of sugar cubes was within easy reach. Ryuzaki continued to stare unblinkingly. Matsuda watched him, slightly alarmed and wondering if a person's eyelids could atrophy from disuse. It was unnerving. But they had only met two days ago: given a bit more time, he knew he'd eventually get used to Ryuzaki's quirks.

"Thank you, Matsuda," Ryuzaki suddenly said, making Matsuda jump. He immediately felt foolish: Ryuzaki had the worst social timing of anyone he'd ever met, but he sometimes wondered if it was on purpose. Ryuzaki simply slid the cup of coffee closer and started adding sugar; Matsuda watched in fascination as, one by one, the sugar cubes threatened to make the cup overflow.

L's sense of humour was unconventional, to say the least. He continued to watch the computer screen, where he could see Matsuda's mirrored eyes growing rounder and rounder. The coffee soon reached the rim of the cup: L paused for a moment before ever so slowly, carefully, adding one more cube.

Matsuda couldn't stand it any longer.

"Ryuzaki!"

"Yes?"

"Your coffee… it's full."

"So it is." L craned his neck down to look at his coffee from eye level. It was actually a little more than full: the liquid bulged slightly above the cup's rim, held there by surface tension.

There was only one thing to do. Leaning forward in his seat, he balanced precariously on his toes and stuck his mouth on the edge of the cup.

"Ryuzaki!"

Highly amused, he inhaled with a noisy slurp.

"I think I know that kid!"

L spluttered and removed his face from the coffee. That wasn't how the game went.

"Kid?" he murmured, focusing on the computer screen properly for the first time in half an hour. Contrary to what Matsuda thought, L hadn't been working very hard at all. They were still waiting for security tapes from the day of the FBI agents' deaths to arrive, so too much further speculation would be detrimental at this stage. At least, that was his justification for slacking off all morning. It was plain to see that he'd been surfing the net for interesting news stories instead of doing anything constructive, but he hadn't expected Matsuda, of all people, to call him on it.

"Yeah, that kid!" Matsuda continued. "It was the day of the big broadcast. He came to the central police station for an interview."

"Oh, I see. You're being serious."

Matsuda had the feeling that he was being made fun of on more levels than he could comprehend.

"Did you interview him yourself?" asked L, returning to his usual position in the chair.

"Yeah, but he was - "

"Was this interview related to the Kira investigation?"

"Well, yes, but - "

"Then his death is suspicious."

Matsuda blinked. "But it was just a random road accident. Do you think Kira could have done it?" He couldn't see how Ryuzaki figured that one. FBI agents aside, Kira's victims had always been criminals, and they had always died of heart attacks. This poor schoolboy had done nothing worse than dashing across the road without looking.

"The chance is very small: less than one percent. Given Kira's past behaviour, we wouldn't normally expect him to deviate from his usual method of killing. However, there is no reason that Kira couldn't drive a bus, or push a schoolboy onto a busy road… we do know that he is human, after all."

"So we should investigate the bus driver?"

"No. It was only an example. Both of those scenarios are extremely unlikely."

Matsuda resisted the urge to point out that this entire train of thought was extremely unlikely: less than one percent, as Ryuzaki himself had put it.

L raised a hand to his chin and rested his thumb against his lower lip. "What this means is that… either I have an overactive imagination, or this was a very special circumstance for Kira."

"Speaking of overactive imaginations, that kid was crazy."

"Crazy?" L twisted in his chair and stared up at Matsuda. "What did he tell you?"

"I don't remember very well to be honest, um… something about a magic diary. If he wrote someone's name down they would die, but if he erased the name they would come back to life."

L took a moment to mull this over. "That _is_ crazy. Did he claim to have used this magic diary on anyone in particular? If there were any corresponding deaths, we might have a new lead."

Matsuda frowned: was Ryuzaki actually serious about this? It was hard to tell. "Uh… I can't remember off the top of my head. Do you really think it could lead to something? I mean, it seems a little… um…" He trailed off and shrugged, not wanting to insult Ryuzaki's theory.

"Any insight we can get into Kira's methods will be immensely useful."

And there was the magic word. Matsuda's frown dissolved. "The notes I took during the interview will be stored in the database. I could look them up for you, if you want?"

"Go right ahead." L unfolded himself from the chair and offered it to Matsuda, who gingerly pushed the sugar-laden cup of coffee aside before reaching for the computer. Oddly, the police database didn't demand Matsuda's security code the usual half-dozen times: he supposed L had some sort of special access.

Hunched over, fingers at his lips, L stared intently. If Matsuda had looked over his shoulder at that moment, he might have realised that L's considerable deductive powers were not focused on any silly magic diary, but entirely on Matsuda himself. Young, eager and impulsive, he was a far cry from the grizzled veterans L usually dealt with. Not necessarily a bad thing, but not always good either.

"I found it!" Matsuda announced, prompting L to look up. It was indeed the same kid. L took a moment to scan the boy's story: a magic notebook, which he had used to kill some bullies before turning it over to the police for some unnamed reason. It also mentioned a friend of his, who had apparently been able to bring people back to life with a magic eraser. The notebook had allegedly been destroyed by two police detectives.

"What were the names of these two police detectives? It would be interesting if they turned out to be real people," said L.

Matsuda decided not to try and guess what was going on inside Ryuzaki's head. "I didn't take their names," he admitted, feeling a little incompetent. "The story just seemed so crazy that I didn't think it was a good idea to ask."

"I can understand that, certainly."

There was a long pause, during which Ryuzaki just kept staring vacantly at the computer.

Matsuda made a small coughing sound. "So… if you don't think this is a serious lead, shouldn't we get back to work or something?"

"Yes, of course. You're right."

L waited for Matsuda to leave before settling back into the chair, knees drawn up in front of him. Apart from analysing various members of his investigation team, there was very little to do until the security tapes of the FBI agents arrived. The small mystery of Miura's death would have to provide him with some entertainment in the meantime.


	5. Chapter 5

True to his word, Miura showed up twenty minutes later. He was a lanky, bespectacled boy with a permanently nervous air about him, and today he seemed even more restless than usual. He fidgeted with his shirt sleeves while they made their way to the police station, talking incessantly about Kira: where he or she might be, how they might have found the notebook, what they might do next.

"Hey, what did you do with that eraser?" he asked suddenly. "Maybe we should have brought it with us! In case they find Kira, you know?"

"I, uh…" Taro floundered, cursing silently at himself. Of course they would want to know about the eraser! How could he explain its disappearance? He couldn't bring up the shinigami now: not only was it far-fetched, but Miura might start to guess what else Taro hadn't been entirely honest about.

"Miura, do you really think they would want to bring back all the criminals Kira has killed?" he said, after a rather-too-long pause.

"That's not what I mean," Miura replied, giving the other boy a glance. Was he suspicious? "If you give the eraser to the police, they won't have to worry so much about getting killed by Kira. You do still have it, right?"

"Not exactly," Taro muttered, looking at his feet. "It's gone. I threw it away."

"What? Why?" Miura exclaimed, gaping.

Taro continued to hang his head in shame. "I… I was afraid, Miura," he said quietly, as if it were something painful to admit.

"You didn't have to go and throw it away. You could've just given it to me. I wouldn't have minded," said Miura, oblivious. "Where did you throw it? Maybe we could find it again."

"No. Public litter bin, it will be long gone by now." Taro sighed and kicked at a small stone in his path.

"That sucks." Miura seemed to have bought it; Taro relaxed slightly. He needed to start thinking further ahead. It wouldn't be good to be taken by surprise like that again, especially not in front of the police.

They arrived at the station to find it in a state of mild chaos. The television broadcast had provoked a huge public reaction: one that the small local police station was hardly equipped to deal with. There wasn't a police officer in sight, but the two schoolboys had to squeeze their way through a small crowd before they could speak to the harried-looking woman at the desk.

"We need to talk to detective Takagi or inspector Yamanaka," Miura announced.

"What is the situation?" the woman asked. "Is it an emergency?"

"It's about Kira."

"I see. You cannot speak to Takagi or Yamanaka. Detective Tanaka is handling – "

"Why not? Can we leave a message or something?"

The woman seemed vaguely annoyed, but replied, "They are no longer police officers. Is there a reason you can't speak to Tanaka instead?"

Taro trod heavily on Miura's foot and said, "Those two were investigating a case at my school about a month ago. That's why we want to talk to them."

"I'm afraid they both resigned yesterday."

"They resigned? Why?" Taro wondered, startled.

"Inspector Yamanaka has gone into retirement. Now, do you want to speak to Tanaka?" The woman fixed him with an even stare which clearly said that she didn't think two schoolboys were worth Tanaka's time. And considering their outlandish story, she could have been forgiven for it.

"What about Takagi?"

"As of yesterday, he is no longer a police officer and I am not at liberty to give out his details. If you want to contact him, I'm sure you can find him in a telephone directory." She was looking rather sour by now. "If you have any information pertaining to the Kira investigation, you may call the number on this card."

"Sorry," said Taro, although he wasn't sure what exactly he was apologising for. Miura took the card and they left the police station together.

"But don't you think it's weird? That they both resigned like that? I mean, even Yamanaka didn't look old enough to retire. Think it has anything to do with Kira?"

"Give it a rest, Miura," Taro begged.

"I think that Kira definitely has the death note," Miura continued. "We should ring this number."

"We? You can if you want. Nobody will believe you. There's no point talking to anybody if it's not Takagi or Yamanaka."

Miura shrugged. "You're probably right. Maybe they won't believe us, but don't you think we should still try? We know how Kira kills people. That's not something we can just keep to ourselves!"

"Think about it, Miura. We aren't the only two people who know this, remember? Takagi and Yamanaka know, and they're police officers. But when we come to talk to them, we find out that they've both just resigned?"

"Are you… are you saying that maybe Takagi and Yamanaka are Kira?"

Taro shook his head, trying to get his thoughts straight. "I don't think so. They know that we know. If one of them was Kira, they would have killed us and probably each other by now."

"So why would they resign, then? Wouldn't they want to catch Kira?"

"I don't know." Taro sighed and stuck his hands in his pockets. "They probably know way more about the Kira case than we do. If they both decided to stay out of it, then I'm gonna stay out of it too."

"But… we can't just – "

"You can do whatever you want, Miura. I'm going home."

Taro turned his back and slouched off. Miura stared forlornly after him, wondering what it was about himself that nobody liked.

Miura had never had much in the way of friends. He didn't know what it was, but something about him just attracted bullies like a magnet. And although he had always regarded Taro (the other school loser) as a sort of comrade, it seemed like even Taro didn't want to be around Miura for long.

Sighing, Miura turned the small card over in his hands. Taro was right: nobody would believe what he had to say, but he wouldn't let that stop him from trying.

* * *

"He came back to life when you erased his name from the notebook?"

"Yup."

Matsuda tried to keep his face looking appropriately grim, but he just couldn't take this Miura kid seriously. He thought of asking for the names of the friend and two police officers allegedly involved, but decided it wasn't worth the trouble. Why did he always end up interviewing the whack jobs?

"Please read this over, make sure your details are correct and sign here." Not that it mattered; this kid's story was going straight into the 'crazy' files.

Miura signed and handed the piece of paper back to Matsuda. "Thank you sir, for listening to me," he said quietly. "I know it seems insane, but it's the truth."

"It's okay," said Matsuda, flashing a kind grin as he showed Miura the door. "The truth can be pretty strange sometimes. You know your way from here? Okay, then. Bye… phew." Closing the door, Matsuda raked a hand through his hair and shook his head. He had to give the kid credit for creativity, but it was a waste of time too.

* * *

"I'm not a police detective anymore. I'm afraid I can't help you." Takagi's voice was firm.

"Why?" Taro couldn't understand it.

"You want to know why I resigned? Fine. I suppose if anyone has the right to know…" There was a pause; Taro could hear Takagi coughing at the other end of the line. "Yamanaka and I didn't resign voluntarily. We lost our jobs. But it doesn't matter. I won't fight for a job I don't want, and I won't risk my life for a cause I don't believe in."

"But that means…"

"Yes, I support what Kira does. I've seen too many unforgivable crimes go unpunished. Look, take my advice: just keep your head down and forget all about the notebook. Kira doesn't mess around, so don't put yourself or your family in danger. Don't go playing hero where you're not wanted, kid."

"I wasn't going to – "

"I'm serious! Just stay out of Kira's way and you won't get hurt!"

Taro was silent, eyes wide. Had he just been threatened? He didn't know: it felt like his brain had ground to a halt.

Takagi cleared his throat. "Look, I didn't mean to yell at you, but you really need to take this on board. Don't talk to anyone about the notebook. You'll be safe if you just shut up and stay put. Okay?"

"…Yes sir."

"Good. Now do me a favour and don't call this number again."

There was a crackle and a clack as Takagi hung up. Taro listened to the tone and slowly released the breath he'd been holding.

Takagi: Kira. Was it possible? No, he hadn't thought so before, but now he couldn't think clearly; he couldn't remember how he'd reached that conclusion. All rational thought was driven completely out of his mind by fear.

_Kira doesn't mess around…_

He was barely aware of himself as he made his way over to the piano and lifted the notebook out of its hiding place. He could still remember the kanji: it hadn't been that long ago, and Ryuk had been right there, telling him how easy it would be to kill them if he memorised the names…

… _so don't put yourself or your family in danger._

Lifting pen from paper, Taro stared at the page and counted.

Forty seconds.

He picked up the phone and pressed redial.

_Just stay out of Kira's way and you won't get hurt._

"Takagi speaking."

"Oh!" Taro physically flinched in surprise, fumbling the phone and almost dropping it.

"Who is this?" Takagi demanded, in a tone that said he knew very well who it was.

"I'm sorry sir! I just pressed redial by mistake!" Without waiting for a response, Taro hung up and stared at the death note in unblinking disbelief. The name was right there in front of him: the ink had barely dried. No cause of death. Takagi should have died of a heart attack, but by some strange twist of fate he'd escaped.

"There's no way the death note could have failed," Taro whispered to himself. "Maybe it can't be used to kill the owner of another death note? No, Miura's notebook worked on me… I must have made a mistake with the name. What was I thinking?"

He blinked and snapped the notebook shut: it was as if he'd woken up from a trance. The knowledge that he'd just tried to kill a person hung unpleasantly overhead, like a fog in the room. The memory of Ryuk's cackling laughter seemed to echo inside his head.

Clutching the notebook to his chest, he gripped the corners with enough force to turn his fingers bone-white. His mind was in turmoil: even worse than trying to kill Takagi, was the wish that he hadn't failed.


	6. Chapter 6

Taro stood still in the middle of his bedroom, deep in shock. Something very disturbing was going on around him.

He had searched _everywhere. _The room looked like it had been ransacked. Books had been swept from the bookshelf, boxes pulled from beneath the bed and desk drawers emptied upside down onto the carpet, their contents mingling with a tangle of old toys which had spilled out of his open closet. And yet, Taro's library card was nowhere to be found.

Nor, for that matter, was his school student ID, his Lucky Arcade Club card, or even his passport. All of it was mysteriously gone.

There was a gentle tap, and Taro's mother appeared at the door. She stared at the mess in surprise: this wasn't like her son.

"I'll clean it up," Taro said automatically. "I was just looking for my library card, that's all."

"Well, okay then, but… are you all right? You've been acting a little bit strange lately."

"Have I?" Taro was surprised: he'd been deliberately trying to act normal. "I guess it's because of the new school year." It was a lame excuse, but he was pretty sure he could get her to buy it.

"Are you getting a hard time from the kids at school again?"

"No… I meant with all the extra homework and stuff."

"Are you sure?"

Taro shot her his best smile. "Honestly, I'm fine. You worry too much!"

"Well, all right then."

She closed the door, still wearing a vague frown. Taro stared after her: he supposed if anyone were to notice a change in his behaviour it would naturally be his mother, but he was sorry to worry her.

Of course, she would have every reason to worry if she knew the truth: that he was guarding the secret of a serial killer, and there was nobody in the world who could help him even if he could persuade someone to believe him, and if he went to the police he was as good as dead anyway because if L didn't see him executed, Kira would. Not to mention that his friend was dead, his death note didn't work, he could be supernaturally compelled to step out in front of a bus at any moment, and his library card had mysteriously gone missing along with all other evidence of his identity.

"Looks like I won't be getting a new library membership," he whispered dully. "I wish I knew what was going on…"

He couldn't imagine how they'd done it, but someone had managed to enter his house and take away everything that had both his name and face on it. Hopefully his mother wouldn't ask about it, it wasn't going to be easy to come up with a valid excuse for that one. But that wasn't the point.

Names and faces were Kira's killing tools, just as much as the death note itself. They were all equally necessary. Which meant that…

Shit!

Taro bolted from his bedroom and practically flew down the stairs, cursing himself for his stupidity. Luckily, there was nobody in the living room to see him lift the top of the piano and nearly drop it on himself as, with a sigh of relief, his hand reached the death note. Maybe the piano wasn't such a bad hiding place after all: if it had been anywhere else in the house, then whoever had stolen his identity would probably have found it. Not that they would have been looking for weird black notebooks… or would they?

No. Nobody knew that he had a death note in the first place, so the intruder couldn't have searched for it. But the questions of _who_ and _why_ still remained.

It had to be Kira. Who else would want Taro's name and face? And in turn, it must mean that Takagi was not Kira, because Takagi already knew Taro's identity, meaning he wouldn't need to steal the information.

But no, it couldn't be Kira. Taro knew that Kira was smart and cautious. He had managed to evade capture for four months so far, even with L and his 1,500 investigators on the case. It wasn't like Kira to invade someone's house; even if he had, he wouldn't have removed any items from it. Kira wouldn't have trouble remembering a name and face long enough to write it down in a death note.

So who else could it be? Taro knew he had to be overlooking something. Running his mind back over the information, he abruptly remembered that the weird librarian hadn't been able to find any record of Taro in the library computer. Like he'd never had a membership at all… but he _had,_ which meant that somebody must have deleted all traces of it.

Kira wouldn't care about that. Who on earth would? What was the point in preventing Taro from getting books out of the library? And how the heck did they manage to do it anyway? It didn't seem like one person could pull all of this stuff off by themselves.

The idea that an entire group of people might be involved was a frightening one. Taro felt helpless; going to the police was out of the question. He had no way of figuring out who these people might be, if they were employed by Kira or what they were doing with his identity.

Perhaps it was all just a sadistic trick designed to freak him out. A message from Kira: I know exactly who you are and I can kill you whenever I want.

It was probably cowardly, but Taro didn't want to die again. There would be no Miura standing by with magic eraser this time.

If Kira was telling him to shut up and stay put, then that was exactly what he'd do.

* * *

It was good to feel useful, Matsuda thought. Tailing a school kid wasn't anything to shout about, but it was still a big step up from fetching Ryuzaki's coffee. Unfortunately, the school kid in question was doing absolutely nothing that a school kid shouldn't do, which made following him seem kind of pointless.

"Anything to report, Matsuda?"

"Sorry, Ryuzaki. He's acting like nothing's happened."

Hunched in his seat as usual, Ryuzaki glanced at Matsuda from the corner of one eye. "There's no need to apologise. It's actually quite an interesting reaction."

"Really? It seems to me like he hasn't even noticed."

"He didn't, at first."

"Oh. Did you see Chief Yagami today?"

"I spoke to him over the phone. He's determined not to fall behind on the case: quite a remarkable man."

"Yeah… pretty amazing, after his heart attack and all."

L eyed Matsuda warily. He had chosen Matsuda to follow Taro Kagami after school because of all the task force members, he was the least likely to question L's authority. He hadn't even thought to ask how L had gone about erasing Taro's identity, despite the fact that it was generally illegal to steal people's belongings. Not that Matsuda was incompetent, but perhaps it would be a good idea if L checked things out for himself…

"Tell you what, Matsuda. You will take the day off to go and visit Yagami tomorrow, and keep him up to date with the investigation. I will keep track of Taro myself."

"You, you will?"

"Yes. The chief could do with some company."

Matsuda shook his head. "But… you'll really follow Taro?" It was hard to imagine Ryuzaki slouching around after a schoolboy, trying to look inconspicuous.

"I didn't get where I am without being able to – oh. Excuse me." Ryuzaki stopped mid-sentence to hook his cell phone out of his pocket with two fingers. "Yes? …Oh, you have? …hmm. I see… Yes, that would be best. Thank you. Matsuda?"

"Huh?"

"Please take a seat. I think you might find this interesting."

Matsuda obeyed and sat down, watching as Ryuzaki fiddled about with his computer. It displayed a series of interconnected lines and symbols, flickering in various colours on a black background. Was it some kind of game?

"What are you doing?" he asked, trying to figure out the weird layout of information.

"I'm receiving some photos from a contact of mine."

Matsuda kept peering at the screen. "Is it a puzzle? I don't get it."

"You're not supposed to. It is… an abstract operating system. Should the computer be lost or stolen, this will stop just anyone from being able to use it."

"Oh, so they won't be able to figure out - Whoa! Ugh!"

They had just been presented with the image of a disfigured human corpse. Ryuzaki wasted no time flicking through the series of photos, which included a number of stomach-turning close-ups.

"Takagi," Ryuzaki said simply, eyes intent on the pictures with no trace of discomfort.

Well, it made sense: as L, he probably had to look at pictures like this all the time. Matsuda had seen his share of grotesque things too, but this was something new. "What happened to him?"

"Insects. These pictures were taken in the Amazon rainforest."

"So he's been… eaten."

The corpse lay in a tangle of dirt and branches, partially grown over with grass and foreign plants. Insects had stripped away the flesh only, leaving the skeletal remains largely intact and still wrapped in scraps of half-rotted clothing.

"If his body was eaten like that, could it mean that someone killed him and left him there on purpose to try and cover up evidence?"

"No… it's not that…" Ryuzaki mumbled, thumb at his lips. The strange computer puzzle-system reappeared, but was quickly replaced by something more familiar: a document. "These are the notes that go with the pictures… so it's just as I thought… an accident, but… that means it's no accident…"

"What do you mean? Ryuzaki? …Ryuzaki?"

Eyes wide and staring, L had frozen in his seat as thoughts raced in his head, far too quick and numerous to be expressed outwardly.

"Ryuzaki?"

Blinking at last, L dropped his thumb from his mouth and looked around the room.

"Mogi! Aizawa! It's Taro Kagami. We need to bring him in."

"Not this again," Aizawa muttered. "Ryuzaki, with all due respect, this has nothing to do with why we're here. We're supposed to be catching Kira!"

"Then I won't ask you to go. Mogi, please go to the station and take Ukita with you. Watari, can you make the arrangements?"

"Certainly."

Aizawa gritted his teeth as Mogi swiftly exited without him. Matsuda stood by, half wishing he could have gone with Mogi and half glad that he didn't have to arrest a child. They looked at each other as L simply sat in his seat, offering no explanation.

"Ryuzaki! Aren't you going to say something? You've just ordered the arrest of a child! How can you be so calm?"

L shifted ever so slightly, shoulders hunching just a fraction further. Matsuda interpreted this as an emotional sign – so Ryuzaki _did_ feel bad. However, Aizawa saw only a gesture of stubborn determination.

When L finally spoke, it was in a flat, even tone. "I was prepared for this eventuality."

"You were planning this all along?" Matsuda shook his head in disbelief. "How? Why? He's just a kid!"

"Think about it, Matsuda. Three out of four people have died in a relatively short period of time. If he's not responsible, then he's next."

Matsuda shook his head again. It didn't make sense: it was too big a leap of logic. "The only death that even looks like murder happened overseas, Ryuzaki. There's no connection to him. I don't see how you can arrest a_ kid_ based on that!"

"There is a connection: the notebook."

Aizawa could hardly believe his ears. "The magic notebook? Are you serious?"

"Yes, quite, although I wouldn't go so far as to say that the notebook is an actual notebook… I still suspect that it is a codeword for something more sinister. Not only that, but I think the deaths themselves are connected, too. A man loses his sanity and shoots himself, a schoolboy steps in front of a bus, and another man walks into the jungle alone: there's something almost cliché about them. In all three cases, the blame can be laid squarely on the victim. It's as if they've been set up specifically _not _to look like murders."

"That's because they aren't! You've jumped to a conclusion and now you're just trying to _make_ everything fit. It's the same as what you're doing to Chief Yagami's son!"

L could have almost smirked; it was funny Aizawa should mention the prime Kira suspect now. "L, do you know gods of death love apples?"

"What?"

"The message left for me by Kira proves that he can, to some extent, control his victim's actions before they die. What if that extent included, say, shooting oneself?"

Matsuda gasped; Aizawa's eyes widened. Ryuzaki was finally starting to make sense.

"Yamanaka and Miura both reported a notebook," L continued. "And of course, it follows that if Yamanaka knew something, his partner Takagi might also know. It would make sense to kill all three of them. But if you remember, Taro Kagami's name never entered police records: I was only able to track him down through the staff at the police station closest to Miura's house."

"So you think that whoever killed these people was relying on police information to find them? That _does_ sound like Kira."

"Yes, Matsuda. Apart from Taro being the killer himself, it's the only way to account for the fact that he is still alive."

"But how can you prove that he knows anything?" Aizawa asked, frowning. "Just because he went to the police station doesn't mean he knows something. His friend could have just taken him along for support."

"I was getting to that. I arranged for some items to be removed from Taro's house recently. Now, any normal person would have reported it to the police immediately, but Taro hasn't done anything about it at all."

It sounded to Aizawa like a nice way to say that the items were stolen, and at this point he wouldn't put anything past Ryuzaki. "What were the items? Did he even notice that they went missing?"

"They were ID cards, school yearbooks, certain photographs: items that could be used to identify him. I'm one hundred percent certain that he knows they are missing; I made sure of it myself. My guess is that he's afraid to go to the police because he doesn't want to die like the other three."

Matsuda's eyes grew round. "But Ryuzaki, what if you bring him in and he's killed?"

"It would be interesting, but if the murderer is Kira as I suspect, then I doubt he will do something that stupid… unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Never mind. As you both have pointed out, none of this stands up on its own. We need to find out what Taro knows."


	7. Chapter 7

"Taro Kagami."

The distorted voice rang loudly in the quiet space. Taro hugged his knees closer to his chest, head bowed to hide his face from the camera overhead.

"How are you doing?"

Cold, Taro wanted to say. He was dressed only in thin cotton, and the provided bed did not come with blankets. The room was all concrete and metal, without windows. One side of it was composed of floor-to-ceiling iron bars: beyond those, a blank white wall and the ever-present camera.

The police had told his parents that they were merely taking him into 'protective custody', but Taro could recognise a jail cell when he saw one.

"Ever since you arrived, you haven't spoken a word."

Taro couldn't guess how long it had been. There was no daylight in here: the room was constantly lit by fluorescent tubes overhead. Whenever Taro managed to fall asleep, the bright lights and the chilly temperature would soon wake him up.

"I don't want you to be uncomfortable, but I can't help you if you won't talk to me."

Taro stayed silent. He wanted to ask for hot food, fresh air and a good night's sleep, but if he got into a conversation with his captor, he might accidentally say something that could get him killed.

"You know, the fact that you're so determined to hide whatever you know makes me more and more certain that you really are a killer."

A pause followed, so long and silent that Taro wondered if the owner of the voice had left him. He hoped not.

"Well, whatever the truth, I'll be sure to find it out sooner or later. Think about that."

* * *

"Come on Ryuzaki, this is just cruel."

"Hm, no. This is actually very mild, as far as interrogations go."

Light watched as L studied the camera feed over a delicate, china cup of Earl Grey. So this was what the world's greatest detective did all day? He was probably only the best because nobody else was willing to use such underhanded methods, Light thought. Not to mention that this whole thing was _very_ obviously a trap.

If Taro Kagami suddenly died while in L's custody, there would no doubt that Kira was to blame. On the other hand, if Taro started spilling everything about notebooks and shinigami, then L would be that much closer to catching Kira anyway. It seemed odd that Taro wasn't talking, but every moment spent stalling was more time for Light to come up with a plan.

"Heh, heh, heh. He probably thinks you'll kill him if he says anything to L about his death note," said Ryuk, snickering from somewhere over Light's left shoulder.

_Ryuk?_

Light steeled himself, but not before he realised that L was now staring at him. Damn! Light wasn't sure if he had twitched, or if Ryuzaki had seen it and was now chalking it up to Light being Kira, but he couldn't take the chance. He had to say something.

"You still think I'm Kira, don't you?"

"Yes, I think that is a distinct possibility." As if this were nothing more than a pleasant discussion between friends, L took a sip of his tea.

Light narrowed his eyes. "I can't believe you would put a kid behind bars just to set me up."

"I'm not doing this purely for your benefit, Light. Whoever Kira really is, I'm positive that Taro is a threat to him… meaning that sooner or later, he will have to take some action."

Oh, so that was why Ryuzaki wasn't trying very hard to make Taro talk. He was waiting for Kira to make a move. Light should have known it wasn't that simple; just how many layers did this trap have?

"You're just going to keep him there until Kira does something? Are you _trying_ to get this kid killed? What about the second Kira?"

"Kira obviously doesn't know who Taro is, or he would already be dead. And as long as he is in custody, he should also be safe from the second Kira. If he dies now that I've erased all traces of his identity from the outside world, it will be very easy to figure out who Kira is." Making sure that the implication wasn't lost on Light, L shot him a sidelong glance. "Taro is in the safest place he can possibly be."

"Because you think that if I were Kira, I'd be smart enough to sidestep your little trap."

"Correct."

"What's the point of all this, then? Tell me, Ryuzaki. What do I need to do to prove to you that I'm not Kira?"

L's teacup clacked against the saucer as he carefully balanced them on the arm of his chair. "The only way to prove that you are not Kira is by catching the real Kira and learning how he kills. Until that happens, I'm afraid you'll remain under my suspicion."

Light sighed in defeat, but his mind was working furiously inside. He needed to question Ryuk in private: would it look odd if he suddenly tried to leave now? No, he could make it seem natural.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to excuse me for now," said Light, his face a perfect mask of imperfectly masked hurt, anger and betrayal. "I have to keep up with my studies."

"I've offended you," L observed.

"I'm fine, Ryuzaki," Light not-lied. "It's just… it's just the constant suspicion. I guess it's getting to me."

L turned back to the surveillance, one finger shoved against his mouth. "I understand…"

…_but if you really were Kira, wouldn't you say the same?_

_

* * *

_By the time they reached home, Light was in a curiously good mood.

"Ryuk, what did you mean when you said that Taro was afraid I'd kill him if he told L about his death note?"

"Uh… what was that?"

"Come on, Ryuk, don't play dumb with me now. You saw another shinigami, didn't you?"

"No," said Ryuk, glad to hear a less complicated question.

"But you said that Taro had a death note."

"Huh. Yeah, I did say that."

Light's grin turned into a slight frown. "If you didn't see a shinigami, then how did you know? Is there some way you can tell just by looking?"

Ryuk's eyes bulged in anticipation. Light was going to be furious. "Heh, heh. I knew he had a death note because I'm the one that gave it to him!"

The reaction wasn't as good as hoped for. Instead of yelling and maybe chucking something at Ryuk, Light simply grew a steely glint in his eyes. More of that thinking he enjoyed so much, probably.

"Don't give me that. If he had your death note, you wouldn't be following me, would you?"

"And I am," said Ryuk.

"So if you're telling the truth, he must have given it back to you and lost all memory of it. Or is there another way to stop a shinigami from following you?"

"Nope, there's no other way." Not now, at least.

"Then that's obviously not the reason he won't talk."

"Huh. You're right, Light. Whoever heard of a human who knows more about the death note than a shinigami?"

Light lowered his chin and stared at Ryuk from beneath his neatly combed, yet artfully ruffled fringe. It was a cold, calculating look.

"There's something you're not telling me. What are you hiding, Ryuk?"

"I'm not hiding anything. I already told you that Taro has a death note."

"Then why aren't you following him?"

"He gave me the eraser."

"But you just said that the only way for a shinigami to stop following a human is if they give up the death note."

"Yeah, well, I thought you might be more interested in what's true now than in what was true then."

Suppressing a scream of frustration, Light gritted his teeth and continued. "What was this eraser?"

"I dunno. Some weird thing that could undo the death note."

Light thought back to the tale he'd come across in the police files, all those months ago. "So Taro really could bring people back to life? Do you still have it?"

"I swapped it for two more death notes," Ryuk replied, sounding rather pleased with himself.

"Can you get it back?"

"The shinigami king has it, so I wouldn't wanna try."

"Is there some way I can get another one?"

"I dunno, what is this, twenty questions? What would you want it for, anyway? Wait, don't tell me: you want to chicken out and bring everyone you've killed back to life."

"I was actually thinking that being killed by Kira myself would be the perfect way to throw off suspicion," said Light, annoyed. "Don't you know _anything_ useful about the eraser? Like where it came from?"

"Nope. Sorry."

Light's face formed a scowl. How was he supposed to think of a way to throw L off track if he didn't know all the facts?

"Are all of you shinigami this incompetent?"

Ryuk shrugged. "Nobody cares about all these complicated rules. We just write names when we need to."

"Right. Well, I suppose I shouldn't expect anything more from you," Light replied, his tone cutting. "For now, I'll have to work with the assumption that Taro knows everything about the death note, and he's only holding out on L because he doesn't want me to kill him. That's the worst case scenario, so if I can figure out a way to deal with that, I should be able to handle anything."

"Wouldn't the worst case scenario be if he told L everything?"

"You're really not helping, Ryuk. I need to think of a way to shut him up for good." Light slumped into his desk chair and released a long, slow breath, trying to clear his head. "Ideally, I'd just kill him and take his death note, but that's not an option unless I can lay the blame on someone else… like the second Kira. No, that's too obvious. I bet it's exactly what L thinks I'll do. Damn! There's got to be a way."

"He doesn't need to be dead if you wanna take his death note," Ryuk commented, now lounging on Light's bed.

"What are you getting at?"

"I know where he used to hide it. I can go and get it for you if it's still there."

The shinigami watched as Light's eyes narrowed. Something fun must be cooking in that head of his.

"If you're willing to steal it, does that mean you'd be willing to put it back once I'm finished with it?"

Ryuk grinned. "Heh, heh, heh. You never let me down, Light."

"Good to hear. I think I've got a plan."


	8. Chapter 8

"So, it looks like you were telling the truth after all, Ryuk." Light spun in his desk chair and smirked as the shinigami handed over Taro's black notebook. It was very similar to the one currently hidden in Light's desk drawer: they both had the words DEATH NOTE on the front cover in Ryuk's untidy scrawl. Opening the notebook, Light was surprised to see that the inside covers were blank.

"You didn't include the instructions," he said, looking up at Ryuk.

"Didn't think of it then," the shinigami explained, shrugging. "He couldn't even read properly anyway. Can I have the apple now?"

Light flicked him an apple, watching as it was deftly caught and swallowed in three bites. "I don't think he has a problem with reading, Ryuk; it's probably just because you wrote in English instead of in Japanese." Light now had the notebook open on his desk and was studying the first page very closely. There were a number of tiny indents covering the top half of the page. They were almost invisible to the naked eye, but had a distinctive texture when Light ran a fingertip across them. "I can't read what it says, but something was definitely written here and then erased later on. I guess it all must have been true, then." Flipping over a few more pages, Light suddenly cracked a grin.

"What is it?"

"Well, this changes everything. Look, this page has just one name on it. And this page over here has the same name, but… well, see for yourself." The page was lined with column after column of increasingly shaky kanji, spelling out Takagi's name dozens of times over.

"He actually used the death note? Huh. I thought he was too scared."

"But it didn't work, Ryuk. You want to know why?" Pushing his chair back from the desk, Light unscrewed the ink cartridge from a pen and opened his desk drawer. Slotting the cartridge into the underside of the drawer, he pushed the false bottom up to reveal his death note.

"I gotta say, you're a lot sharper about hiding your death note than he was," Ryuk remarked.

Leafing through his death note, Light reached a certain page and compared the two notebooks. "It's just as I thought: the same name. Taro must have been trying to kill Takagi for some reason, but I had already found Takagi's name in the police files after I killed the fake L. I wrote that Yamanaka would commit suicide, which was easily believable since he'd just lost his job and was suspected of being insane. But I knew it would seem suspicious if Takagi died at the same time, so I wrote that Takagi would die in twenty days while on holiday overseas. He lost his job because he was a coward who wouldn't work on the Kira investigation, so it would only seem natural for him to skip the country out of shame."

"And then his body would be overseas."

"Exactly," Light said, smirking. "Taro tried to kill Takagi too, but he obviously didn't know much about how to use the death note. He didn't understand why it wasn't working. Since L told him that Takagi is dead, Taro probably thinks that _he's _the killer. That's why he won't talk to L. It's not just me he's afraid of: he's worried that if he tells L about the notebook, he'll end up getting executed too."

Ryuk was confused. "Didn't L already say that Taro killed those guys?"

"Yeah, but that's just an old trick Ryuzaki's using to try and get Taro to say something. You accuse them of some terrible crime, hoping that they'll tell you what you want to know in order to prove themselves innocent. Ryuzaki thinks he's a step ahead of everyone else, but he's actually too smart for his own good. Do you see the beauty of it, Ryuk?"

Not for the first time, Ryuk thought that Light should have been a shinigami instead of a human.

"Well, what are you gonna do?" he asked, watching Light with his perpetual grin.

Light tossed his head back and stared up at the ceiling. There were a number of possibilities, but his priority was to find Ryuzaki's true name and kill him. It didn't matter how many times Light diverted the investigation away from himself: L would never give up the chase and they would just keep clashing. Killing Ryuzaki was the only way to win.

"I won't kill Taro," Light decided. "I might as well go and introduce myself as Kira to Ryuzaki's face. In fact, I should do whatever I can to keep Taro alive."

"You're the only one who wants him dead anyway," Ryuk pointed out.

"To tell you the truth, I'm worried about the second Kira. If they somehow find out about Taro, they could kill him without thinking and bring the investigation down on us both. Ryuzaki has probably already thought of that. He might try to use Taro as bait to draw the second Kira out into the open; it would be just like him."

Ryuk privately thought that L wouldn't make a bad shinigami either.

"I was thinking of switching the notebooks earlier," Light continued, "but it's not a good plan; I'd have to be desperate. Still, if either of the notebooks had to end up in Ryuzaki's hands, I'd definitely prefer it to be Taro's one since it doesn't have a shinigami attached."

"If any human touches that death note, they'll be able to see me. I'm not attached to it anymore, but I'm still the shinigami who dropped it."

"That's good to know in advance. Thanks, Ryuk." Squaring his shoulders, Light dropped his scheming gaze on the two notebooks in his lap. "My safest option is to convince Taro to give up ownership of his death note. That way I'd have two notebooks, and I'd also eliminate Taro as a threat without killing him. I'd need to find some way to influence him, but that shouldn't be hard considering his position."

"Sounds like you've still got something else up your sleeve," Ryuk said expectantly.

Light grinned. "I'd rather make a move that will put me at an advantage, not just even the standings. I want to get Taro to do the deal for the shinigami eyes."

"Heh, heh, heh. How are you gonna swing that one?"

"You're going to help me, Ryuk. Once Taro has the shinigami eyes, I'll figure out a way to get Ryuzaki's name from him. Ryuzaki doesn't stand a chance, and without him, the investigation team will be useless. I probably won't even need to kill them. Who knows, maybe they'll even come to appreciate the new world."

Ryuk was about to say something non-committal (he was all for prolonging the Kira-vs-L game as much as possible) but cocked his head when he heard the shrill voice of Light's sister downstairs. "Liiiiight! There's a girl here to see you!"

Peering out the window, Ryuk saw the pale, vaguely familiar outline of another shinigami and snickered to himself. He'd never expected to see _her_ with a pet human. Ah well, it was always fun to have another spanner thrown in the works.

* * *

It was warm, quiet and comfortable. Taro tried his best to go back to sleep, but his brain wouldn't cooperate. The usual tension came flooding back before he'd even opened his eyes. He automatically turned his face away from the camera: the thought of someone watching him sleep was always disturbing.

The movement seemed strangely easy today. His neck was usually stiff from sleeping on the stupid rubber plank of a bed, but… uh, a pillow? Since when did L let him have a pillow?

Eyes snapped open: Taro sat up too quickly and promptly fell on his back again. He stared up at an unfamiliar ceiling, head swimming from the sudden movement and not having eaten properly in days. At least the bed was comfortable.

By the time he was steady enough to sit up again, he had detected the alluring aroma of food. Looking around, he noticed that he was in what looked like a hotel room. A _fancy_ hotel room, with heavy curtains and a crystal chandelier and a huge television up on the wall. Wow.

Considering all that had happened to him in the past few months, the situation didn't panic him much. Yes, it was strange, but for the moment he was more interested in the tray of food he had spotted over on the coffee table. Climbing out of the bed, he made his way over to the food and stared at it for a moment, wondering what the heck was it and how did you eat it? Oh well, his fingers would do.

He could only stomach two of the foreign, flaky bread-looking things before he was full. Getting to his feet, he parted the curtains and peered out to see the familiar skyline of Tokyo against dull, colourless clouds. He wasn't used to seeing it from this angle, which meant he was far from home.

The hotel room had doors leading to a bright-white bathroom and an empty closet, as well as the main door which refused to open. Apart from the tray of food, there was no sign of anyone else having been here. Taro soon found that neither the telephone nor the television worked: he was obviously still a prisoner. If there were cameras or microphones in here, he couldn't see them. Was L trying to get Taro's guard down? Well, he wouldn't let that happen.

Feeling thirsty after his meal, Taro headed into the bathroom to drink from the tap. He paused to stare at his reflection in the mirror: the boy who stared back at him was vastly different from the one he was used to seeing. His eyes seemed more prominent than usual, and he needed a haircut. He'd definitely get beaten up if he went to school looking this scrawny. If only his worries were that minor.

Returning to the main room, Taro was startled to see someone bent over the tray of food. The person straightened up and turned to reveal a bespectacled old man.

"Ah, there you are, Taro," he said, offering a polite nod of the head. He wore a neat suit and spoke very properly, despite his foreign accent. "I am Watari. I expect you have some questions to ask, but before we begin that, please let me assure you that you are not in any danger."

Taro blinked, uncertain. "Er, thank you, Mr. Watari. Pleased to meet you," he said slowly, bowing. Whatever he'd been expecting, it certainly wasn't this.

The man's thick moustache twitched. Was he smiling?

"I've taken the liberty of fetching you some clothing," Watari said, indicating a neatly folded stack of what Taro recognised as his own clothes. "I expect you will be staying here for some time."

"Thank you," Taro repeated.

"Not at all. It's the least I can do to make up for your recent treatment at the hands of L."

Taro's eyes narrowed slightly. "So you aren't L?"

The moustache twitched again. "No, I am not L. I am simply somebody who makes it their business to see to the interests of children."

"Oh," said Taro. "But if you're not L, then how did I… how did you…?"

"Very carefully and surreptitiously."

"But won't L try to… try to _get_ you?"

The question seemed to amuse Watari. "L is an exceptionally skilled detective, but he has his weaknesses, too. If I were you, I wouldn't concern myself about him."

Taro had to wonder why anyone would bother springing a suspect from the clutches of the world's greatest detective, child or not. There must be a lot more to this old man than met the eye.

"Are you Kira?"

"Certainly not," said Watari, seeming a little less amused. "If I were, you surely would not be alive."

"Oh, right. Sorry."

"I understand: it's natural for you to be concerned about your situation. Speaking of which, I must ask that you remain in this hotel room at all times, and that you do not try to contact anybody until Kira is caught. As long as Kira remains at large, it is very dangerous for anyone to know your location."

Taro nodded silently. It sounded like they must be close to catching Kira.

"I have my own work to do, so you will have to spend most of your time alone. I shall try to see that you do not get bored," Watari continued. "Your education should not be neglected, after all."

Schoolwork? Taro watched as Watari produced a number of books and other colourful objects from a briefcase. They looked more like toys than anything educational.

Closing the briefcase, Watari straightened up and said, "Before I go, I must ask you to keep this belt with you in case of an emergency. Press the buckle twice – like so – and I will receive an alert. It also contains a tracking device. Should the need arise, I will be able to locate you as long as you keep the belt with you. Is there anything else you would like to know?"

"Um, yes. How long do you think I'll have to stay here for?" Taro asked.

"I cannot say for certain, but let's hope it won't be long," Watari replied. "I apologise, but I must be going now. I will return sometime tomorrow morning."

Donning a large coat and hat which almost completely shrouded him, Watari gave an odd, foreign bow and bid Taro good-day.

Staring after him, Taro thought he should have asked what those weird bread things were called.


	9. Chapter 9

L huffed through his nose as the investigators filed out of the room, leaving only Watari and himself behind. He stared absently at the television before him, which displayed the video feed from Taro's cell. The boy was crouched in the corner with his head in his hands as usual, seemingly deaf to L's questions because he wasn't really in his cell at all.

"They won't be pleased if they discover your deception, but it is your choice," said the elderly gentleman, as soon as everyone was out of earshot.

"I have a reputation to uphold," L monotoned.

"Oh?" said Watari.

"If the team starts doubting my competence, it will be bad for morale," L continued blandly. "I'm supposed to be the world's greatest detective, yet a thirteen-year-old suspect has disappeared from right under my nose so to speak, and the perpetrator is none other than my very own assistant. I'll become a laughing-stock. They'll compare me to Matsuda. Why should they listen to anything I say? They may even stop believing that I'm L."

Watari did not say anything, but his normal poise had taken on an ever so slightly _smug_ quality.

"I'm tired of this."

"You may give it up whenever you wish," Watari said, fully aware that L's pride would never let him.

"I need to keep it up for Light Yagami's sake, at least. If he is Kira, then I can't let him suspect what has happened. I don't like asking Mr. Yagami to keep secrets from his son: it's better this way."

"I doubt Kira will be able to find him."

L laid his hands on his kneecaps and sighed. "It took me about two minutes to find him. You gave him Ukita's belt."

"Yes, I did. But I don't suppose you'll be sending anyone from the team to fetch him, will you?"

Reaching out with one long index finger, L switched the television off. Watari was an invaluable help, but he had a sorry blind spot where children were concerned. L could hardly wait around for Taro to turn sixteen, and he didn't particularly want anyone to find out what Watari had done anyway. He was left with just one option:

"…If you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself," he muttered.

Watari raised both eyebrows.

"Don't worry, Watari. I'm sure you won't find it necessary to remove him from my care a second time. You have my word." L needed to avoid any future inconveniences: it wouldn't do if Watari decided to suddenly ship Taro off to England or something.

"Good. Will you be retrieving him soon?"

"No. He's better off where he is for now." Concern for Taro's wellbeing was the best way to placate Watari for now, and it wasn't a good idea for either Taro or himself to be out and about with _two_ Kiras at large. Besides, he didn't feel like dragging a kid halfway across the city by himself.

Once Watari had left the room, he stalked over to the wide windows which offered a panoramic view of the city. He wasn't sure if Watari had noticed, but their current hotel suite had a view of the hotel where Taro was confined. At the right time of day and with the right pair of binoculars, L could probably look straight in through Taro's window - unless it was on the other side of the building. He'd have to find out exactly where the room was. Hm… when the time was right, he might be able to flush Taro out without even leaving his hotel suite.

* * *

Three days, Light thought._ Three days_ was all the time it took for Misa Amane to well and truly screw him over.

L had seen Light with Misa at the university, so there was no way to deny their connection. The evidence against him was stacking up more and more: he had to think of a way to shake it off, and fast. He'd been so damn close, too! If only he hadn't hesitated… if only L hadn't taken Misa's phone!

Naturally, Ryuk thought the whole thing was hilarious. His wheezing and cackling was grating on Light's last nerve: even the promise of an apple wouldn't shut him up.

"How are you gonna get out of this one, Light?" he taunted. "We can make the eye deal whenever you're ready!"

"Have you ever seen an apple orchard, Ryuk?"

"What?"

Light threw a sideways look at the shinigami, who was swinging upside-down from the bedroom ceiling. "It's a place where they grow apple trees: hundreds and hundreds of apple trees."

Ryuk stilled from his antics and watched Light with growing interest. "How many apples on each tree?"

"Well, that depends on the type of tree and how well it's been looked after. A good-sized tree would have dozens of apples," Light replied.

Ryuk's wide eyes bulged at the thought. "Heh-heh. Are you bribing me? It might just work," he said, fangs shining wetly. Fortunately for Light's carpet, shinigami didn't drool.

"If you help me achieve my goal of a new world, I'll take you to an apple orchard and you can eat as many apples as you want."

"Ha! I'm not gonna run around after you all the time."

Light wasn't surprised, but it had been worth a shot. "Fine, Ryuk. I'll take you to the apple orchard if you can get Taro to give up his death note and his memories."

"Huh?" The shinigami twisted himself down from the ceiling and perched on the end of Light's bed. "I thought you wanted him to get the shinigami eyes."

"I did, but that was before Misa came and screwed everything up. There's no time for that plan; I have to act as soon as possible. Will you do it?"

Ryuk spent a moment considering. "I'll do it, but I'm taking Taro's death note," he said at last.

Light frowned. Was it worth it? Yes, of course it was. If he gave up his own memories, it would be far too dangerous to leave Taro as the only person who knew Kira's secret. Since Taro would still be alive, it should also cast doubt in Ryuzaki's mind.

"Okay, Ryuk. I still need to work out the details, but I think I know what to do."

* * *

"You have to find him!"

"Find him? Since you've been imprisoned, the killings have stopped. There can be no doubt that _you_, Light, are Kira," said the cold voice of L.

"I'm telling you, he's not here," said Ryuk, who was swaying dangerously on one leg.

"No! You're just not looking properly!"

"You've only been in here for one week, Light. You can keep denying it, but I will carry this on for as long as I need to."

"I've spent a week crawling around in every nook and cranny. He's not here," Ryuk insisted, now upside-down against the wall with his face nearly on the floor.

Light cursed internally. He had been certain that once L imprisoned him, he'd be taken to wherever Taro was being held and Ryuk would be able to talk the boy out of his memories. Sure, it would look strange if Taro started talking to thin air, but if L started thinking that Taro was crazy then so much the better.

This cell was practically identical to the one he'd seen in the video footage of Taro: it had to be in the same place. So why couldn't Ryuk find him? Had L somehow guessed at Light's plan and moved Taro to another location? Or was Ryuk just plain useless? Maybe he should have brought the other shinigami instead: at least Rem wasn't hopelessly addicted to apples… no, that was the crux of his whole plan. Besides, he couldn't afford to waste time thinking about what he _could_ have done.

"Do you remember… what you said you'd do?" he whispered wearily.

"I said I wouldn't let you out until I was sure you weren't Kira." Of course, L's microphones picked everything up perfectly, even if Light whispered. Hopefully, Ryuk would catch on to his real meaning.

"Huh? You talking to me?"

"Yes…"

"You mean about the apple orchard?"

"…Yeah. I hope you really meant that."

The shinigami made a muffled sound which might have been a chuckle. There was a long pause from L.

"…Light? Are you feeling all right?"

Light hated leaving things to chance, but his options had run out. There was no other choice.

"Yeah. I know I must look pretty bad in here, but this useless pride... I suppose I'll have to _get rid of it_."


	10. Chapter 10

Taro stared glumly at the Rubik's cube, turning it over in his hands. Watari's idea of 'education' was to provide Taro with dozens of brain-bending games, most of which had completely stumped him. Watari had not been very impressed to find that Taro had been cheating at Sudoku.

"If you do not wish to complete the puzzle fairly, you must at least copy the _correct_ answers from the back of the book," he'd said sternly.

Taro had never once been able to solve the Rubik's cube. He'd been working at it all evening, but the most he could manage was two sides at a time. Yawning, he decided that he'd give the cube ten more minutes before going to sleep. Boy, he really must be tired; he couldn't even get the thing to spin properly. Was it stuck?

Turning the cube over, he saw something wedged between the parts, jamming them up. It looked like a seed from the grapes he'd been eating earlier. He'd started whacking the cube against a corner of the coffee table, trying to dislodge the grape seed when the whole thing suddenly fell apart.

Taro found it hard to be upset about that. He was a little curious about the twisting mechanism from the cube's centre, but it turned out to be another boring piece of black plastic. He began clipping the little coloured blocks back onto it: before he'd realised what he was doing, he found himself holding the completed puzzle.

Ha. That would show Watari.

Setting the cube down on the coffee table, Taro crossed the room and flicked the lights off so he could go to sleep. Unfortunately there was another light shining outside, bright enough to illuminate the room even through the heavy drapes. Annoyed, Taro backtracked across the room and pulled the curtains open just enough to peer out.

The light was coming from a nearby building. It was powerfully bright, like a spotlight, and shone directly into the room as though it had been deliberately aimed. It began to waver slightly like an old film, but it wasn't until it gave a decent shudder that Taro noticed a shadow moving with it.

Stepping back from the window, he stared up in horror at the familiar letter L shadowed against the curtains.

* * *

Watari arrived at Taro's hotel room the next morning to find it empty, the lock broken. It seemed a little unrefined for L. He had been expecting to make this discovery for some time now, but L must have been waiting for Kira's capture before retrieving Taro. After all, there was no longer any doubt that Light Yagami was Kira.

He had been rather amused to find the completed Rubik's cube: Taro couldn't have solved the cube by himself, so L must have left it as a sign that he'd been here in person. Watari couldn't remember L going out anytime the previous night, but it was typical of him to be sneaky like that.

Upon returning to L's hotel suite, Watari found him in crouched in front of his surveillance footage with a plate of cupcakes. Of the investigation team, only Matsuda and Aizawa were present: Mogi was away keeping watch at the police station, while Chief Yagami had been voluntarily imprisoned for over a week now.

"Ryuzaki. I found the cube," Watari said.

"The cube, Watari?" A slightly puzzled look shifted across L's face, before being replaced with his standard blank stare. "It's fine. Aizawa and Matsuda already know about Taro's release."

"Yeah, Ryuzaki told us that since Light's in prison and Kira's stopped killing, it's safe to let Taro go home," Matsuda piped up.

Watari hesitated. L had let Taro go home, just like that? Something about this didn't wash. He noticed Aizawa standing silently with his hands behind his back.

"Home?" he repeated.

"I never said anything about going home," L responded, holding a cupcake up in front of his nose and inspecting it very closely. "I only said that he was free to go."

"Oh, sorry," said Matsuda. "I just thought that since he's a kid, he probably wanted to go home and see his parents again. Wouldn't that be the normal thing to do?"

"Yes," said L, staring nearly cross-eyed at his cupcake. He opened his mouth wide to take a bite.

"Are you trying to tell us that you don't know where he is?" asked Aizawa.

L opted not to bite into the cupcake after all. "I'm sure I could find him easily enough."

Everyone fell silent as they processed the implications of that statement, but just when L thought it was safe to eat the cupcake, he was interrupted by Matsuda.

"I don't understand, Ryuzaki!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air.

"You don't get it, Matsuda?" said Aizawa, eyes narrowed. "Ryuzaki's up to something. Don't you think it's a little strange that he would go to all that trouble with Taro's identity and the interrogation, only to let him go at a time like this?" He turned to address L directly. "You were so convinced that Taro could tell us something about Kira, and God knows we could really do with that information right now, but it looks like you've changed your mind without bothering to tell us why. We're supposed to be working on this investigation together; I'm sick of you keeping us all in the dark."

"I'm sorry, Aizawa." L gave a small sigh and gazed forlornly at his cupcake: this wasn't an appropriate moment to be talking with his mouth full. "To be honest with you, I'm not sure what to think any more. There's no doubt that Light Yagami is Kira, but I can't accept that he would turn himself in without some ulterior motive… it's not like him… and there's his recent behaviour…"

Aizawa stared as Ryuzaki trailed off, seemingly lost in thought. "And?" he demanded. "Why did you let Taro go?"

"Well, I'm interested to see what he will do. As you know, he refused to speak even a single word the entire time he was in custody. I believe there is a higher chance of learning something useful if we observe his actions rather than trying to get him to cooperate with us." There was another pause: L took the opportunity to quickly stuff the cupcake into his mouth.

Matsuda spread his hands and shook his head. "But remember, Ryuzaki, we already tried that. I followed him every day for a week, and he didn't do a single thing out of the ordinary."

There was no reply: Ryuzaki went still, and then began making an odd _gack_ sound. Matsuda was poised to whack him on the back when he lifted a hand to his mouth and spat out the paper cupcake wrapper he had accidentally eaten.

"Ugh. You're right, Matsuda, but this is not the same. Taro may act differently now that Kira is no longer killing."

Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose. "Then why aren't we watching him? Shouldn't we be out there looking for him? It's no good if he does something and we're not even there to see it!"

"Hey, yeah! We should start looking right away!" Matsuda exclaimed.

Much to Aizawa's surprise, Ryuzaki nodded in agreement. He then tilted his head to one side as though thinking. "We'll find him sooner if we split up," he said, resting two fingers against his chin.

"Are you coming to help us look?"

"Yes; I'm sure you're aware that we are severely short of staff. Aizawa, I want you to start with Taro's house, but please be careful not to alert him or his parents as to your presence. Watari, please contact Mogi for me and have him check the school. Matsuda?"

"Yes?" said Matsuda, sounding eager.

"You followed him for several days: I want you to retrace your steps as well as you can and check any place that seems likely."

"Okay!"

"If we're all out looking for Taro, who's going to keep an eye on things here?" Aizawa asked, indicating the surveillance feed. Ryuzaki was usually much more stubborn than this: Aizawa couldn't help but be suspicious of it.

"Watari will contact me if anything comes up," said L. "And before you ask, I'm going to try tracking Taro from his last known location."

Aizawa looked him up and down, one eyebrow sceptically raised. The image of Ryuzaki actually tracking anyone seemed absurd, but he guessed that the world's greatest detective must have at least some skill in field work.

"Anything else we should know, Ryuzaki?"

"Yes. Please remember: we do not want Taro to realise that we are looking for him. We need to be subtle about this."

"Sure thing," said Matsuda. "All right, let's go!"

Aizawa and Matsuda quickly left, while Watari retreated to another room to contact Mogi. Once he was done with that, he returned to find L halfway out the door.

"Ryuzaki," he called, and L turned to face him with an expectant look. For a long moment, neither of them said anything: Watari's disapproval hung thick enough in the air.

"Mogi is on his way," Watari finally said.

"Ah. Thank you," L replied, turning to leave.

Watching him slouch out the door, Watari couldn't help but feel a terrible responsibility. L was the way he was, no matter the reason: still, it was Watari who had raised him to be that way.

* * *

Taro stumbled wearily on his feet as he weaved through a crowd of shoppers. Since breaking out of his hotel room late last night, he had been wandering slowly but surely towards his home district. He had no intention of actually going back to his house since that was the first place L and/or Kira would look for him, but he desperately wanted to be somewhere familiar.

He must have been awake for nearly thirty hours by now. He wasn't desperate enough to take a nap on the ground yet, but a park bench was starting to look pretty good. Passing by a small park, he slumped onto a seat and threw one arm over his eyes to block out some of the light, as he had so often done while trying to sleep under L's relentless watch. There was a small fountain nearby: its steady splash was very soothing to listen to. He felt distantly glad that he wasn't cold.

He awoke some time later with a vaguely creepy feeling. The park bench seemed much less comfortable now, and there was no longer any sunlight on his face. Hopefully it wasn't too late: he was dreading the onset of another night.

Groaning, he sat up and rubbed at his eyes. There came a strange sound from behind him: the vaguely creepy feeling suddenly grew very distinct.

He slowly turned to cast a wary look over his shoulder. There was an odd-looking man crouched on the ground next to the park bench, licking his fingers and smacking his lips as though he'd just finished eating something sticky. And even as he was doing this, he was peering very intently at the spot where Taro's head had been just a few seconds before.

After all the death threats and abductions and shinigami popping out of nowhere, it took a lot more than this to scare Taro nowadays.

"Hey!" he shouted, scowling. "What are you doing?"

The man jumped in mock surprise, then fixed the boy with his intent stare. "Oh, hi. You're awake. Taro Kagami, am I right?" he said, offering an odd little smile. The pupils of his eyes were so dilated that Taro wondered if he might be on drugs.

"How do you know my name?" he asked suspiciously, trying to remember where he'd seen that creepy stare before.

The stranger turned his gaze skyward. "You never did come back for those books," he sighed.

"Oh, you're um, that guy," said Taro, thinking that it probably wasn't a good idea to call him 'the weird librarian' to his face. "Hideki Ryuga, right?"

"Look at that, you even remembered my name," said Ryuga, climbing up onto the bench to hunch next to Taro. It was strange to see a grown man sit with his knees drawn up like that, but Taro had already figured that there was nothing normal about him.

"Were you watching me sleep?" he demanded, scowling again.

"Yes," Ryuga shamelessly replied, sticking two fingers into his mouth. He was like an overgrown child, Taro decided.

"You shouldn't watch people like that. It's creepy."

"Creepy?" Ryuga repeated.

"Yes." There really wasn't any better word to describe him. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I wanted you to have this," Ryuga said, suddenly producing an apple and holding it towards Taro. He managed to balance it from underneath with just his thumb and forefinger, as though he'd really rather not touch it.

Taro stared suspiciously. "What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing."

"Then why are you holding it like that?"

Ryuga was watching him sidelong. "Don't you like apples?"

Taro kept staring. The apple moved a few inches closer.

"I'm told that shinigami like apples," Ryuga added, his arm now fully extended. "And I think you could do with something to eat."

"Shinigami?" Taro blurted in surprise. "You're crazy."

"I'm not the one turning down free food," Ryuga pointed out. "Nor am I the one complaining about being watched even after falling asleep on a park bench in broad daylight."

Taro took a long look at his own feet. If he was really the crazy one, then that would certainly explain a lot.

"My arm is getting tired," Ryuga complained.

Well, it was true that Taro could do with something to eat. Keeping a wary eye on Ryuga for any sudden movements, he took the apple and inspected it: there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it, but he felt awfully suspicious of Ryuga. It was strange coincidence to come across someone he knew in a place like this, and Ryuga hadn't properly answered the question about what he was doing here. What kind of person brought apples to someone they were barely even acquainted with? And another thing: Taro remembered sleeping with his arm over his face, so Ryuga would have had to take a fairly close look to recognise him. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed that Ryuga had been intentionally looking for him.

Taro was at a loss for something to say, so he bit into the apple instead, wondering if shinigami really did like apples. He couldn't remember Ryuk ever eating anything: he didn't think shinigami needed to eat. Why would Ryuga say that shinigami liked apples? 'Shinigami' was a word Kira would probably use, but Ryuga didn't seem to fit Kira's style. He didn't seem to fit L's style either. Maybe he worked for Watari? Or was he just talking nonsense?

The belt with the tracking device had failed to bring any help last night, but Taro had still worn it in the hope that Watari would find him. Ryuga was now gazing absently off into space, so Taro thought it was safe to secretly click the belt buckle twice.

A moment later, Ryuga's pocket started ringing. He lifted the cell phone out with two fingers and stared at the caller ID, then cancelled the call without answering it. Putting the phone back in his pocket, he gave Taro another sideways look. They regarded one another silently, each wondering what the other was thinking.

Having finished with the apple, Taro waved the core at Ryuga and said, "Thanks for the apple, but I need to leave now. So, bye."

"Okay. See you round," Ryuga replied.

Not if Taro could help it. He got up and put the apple core into a litter bin, then made his way across the street. Just as he rounded a corner out of sight, he looked back and saw that Ryuga was still perched on the park bench, fingers in his mouth. Good.

Continuing along an unfamiliar shopping strip, Taro found what he was looking for: a narrow alleyway. It looked like an access route for delivery vehicles to reach the back of shops. At least there wouldn't be too many pedestrians in here: he needed to be able to see clearly.

Removing the belt, Taro found an air conditioning vent and pushed it in, leaving just the tip of it sticking out in case he needed to get it back later. It was a good thing his pants weren't too big for him. From there, it was easy enough to find his way up a fire escape and onto the top of a nearby shop.

Ryuga couldn't see around corners. If he really was following Taro, he would have to go into the alleyway; and as soon as he - or anyone else - looked into the air conditioning vent, Taro would know that he was being tracked with the belt. From his vantage point, he would be able to see what they did next.

With a bit of luck, he would be the one watching them for a change.


	11. Chapter 11

It took twenty minutes for Ryuga to appear. He shambled across the street and slowly ventured into the alleyway. Taro shrank back in his hiding place, trying to spy without being seen. What would Ryuga do?

Looking down from his vantage point on the rooftop, Taro watched Ryuga come to a halt. He sort of milled about for a few moments, hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched so it looked like he was inspecting his feet instead of paying attention to his surroundings. Scuffing the ground with his ratty old shoes, he wandered closer to the wall and out of Taro's line of sight. Curious, Taro craned his neck and peered over the edge of the rooftop, only to see Ryuga looking straight up at him. As their eyes met, Ryuga gave Taro a demented grin and a cheery wave.

Alarmed, Taro scrambled away from the edge of the roof. Ryuga didn't seem intent on harming him, but there was no longer any shadow of a doubt that Taro was being followed. Ryuga must think of him as an idiot by now.

Feeling rather stupid, Taro decided to go down to the alleyway and face his stalker head-on. He was rapidly discovering that the braver you acted, the braver you felt. He headed down the rickety fire escape only to find that Ryuga had disappeared, and in the spot where he'd been standing was the belt.

Obviously, Ryuga wanted Taro to keep the belt so he could easily be tracked. Why Ryuga was following him Taro wasn't sure, but he didn't like it. It seemed like Watari may have sent Ryuga to keep an eye on him, but Taro could no longer trust Watari on principle, let alone to keep him safe. It all came down to the fact that Taro was alone in this; he could only rely on himself, and he needed to take control of the situation. He had to get home, preferably without anybody knowing his whereabouts.

Picking up the belt, Taro glanced around for a suitable diversion. There: a small delivery truck parked at the back of the alleyway with the driver's side window rolled down. Making a swift circle of the truck, Taro tried the door: it opened easily. Stashing the belt underneath the driver's seat, Taro spotted a few stray coins and hesitated for only a moment before snatching them up. There was just enough money for a bus fare. It looked as though his luck were changing.

* * *

It was well after midnight by the time Taro reached home. There were barely any lights on in the neighbourhood: only a real night owl would be awake at this time of night, or perhaps a very diligent student. The windows of Taro's own house were dark, although his mother had left the porch light on as always. It felt odd to be sneaking around in his own yard at night. He knew where the spare key was hidden so he didn't have to break in, but he was supposed to be in protective custody. If his mother found him in the house at night, things would get very complicated, very fast.

Creeping around the side of the house, he realised that if a neighbour happened to look out their window at the moment, they would probably think he was a burglar. He quickly found the key and let himself in through the back door. The house was dark and entirely, eerily silent.

Everything was completely familiar to him: he had lived here all his life, but now in the darkness, he felt terribly alien. He knew how to open every door without it squeaking, but he'd never needed to before.

Nearby street lamps cast several squares of yellow light onto the floor of the living room. The piano was shut up, it's black and white keys hidden from view. Feeling his way around the cold edge of it, Taro lifted the lid and reached down into empty space. The death note was gone.

"Looking for this?"

Starting, Taro dropping the piano lid painfully onto his fingers. "Ah-ow! Ryuk!" Gasping like a fish, he tried to keep his voice down to a whisper.

"Hi there. Long time no see."

"What are you doing here?" Taro whispered urgently, sticking his crushed fingertips into his mouth.

"What am I doing here? You're the one who's sneaking around," the shinigami said, his dry voice seeming awfully loud in the silence.

Taro stared at the object in Ryuk's clawlike hands. "I need that."

"What for? I thought you weren't going to use the death note. What's the point in having it if you don't use it?"

"I need it," Taro repeated.

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Heh heh. You might want to keep your voice down, eh?"

Taro huffed. "Will you please just give me the death note?"

Ryuk's grin widened in the dim light. "Tell you what, Taro. I'll give you the death note if you tell me who you're planning to kill."

Taro paused. He hadn't really considered who he was going to kill. In fact, he'd been doing his best to avoid all thoughts about killing, but that didn't change the fact that the death note was his best hope of survival.

"So that's how it is," Ryuk remarked, with a mild chuckle.

"What?"

"You're losing it."

"No, I won't let - uh…" Taro began to argue, but trailed off.

"You're losing your mind."

"How do you know?" Taro retorted, annoyed. "Why are you here, anyway? I thought you weren't going to follow me anymore."

"Humans who use the death note often lose their minds, but you're a really interesting case."

"What do you mean?"

Ryuk regarded the boy with an amused stare. "You're the first human I've heard of who doesn't use their death note. Maybe."

Taro stared, stony-faced. Did Ryuk know about Detective Takagi? He was getting sidetracked. "I need that death note."

"Heh, heh, heh. You've changed, Taro. You're not thinking as clearly as you used to."

"What?" Taro was taken aback. "They know who I am. If I don't do something, they're going to say that I'm Kira!"

A small noise came from upstairs, like the sound of a small object falling to the floor. Taro immediately realised that he had been talking rather louder than he should have.

"If you use the death note, then you really will be Kira," said Ryuk.

Taro didn't reply for a long time: he was listening hard for any sign that his mother was waking up.

There was a sudden loud crunching sound: Taro looked up to see Ryuk biting into an apple.

"Shh! Keep it down!"

"Mhmm – shorry," Ryuk replied, chomping and swallowing with apparent relish. "You know, I'm surprised you haven't figured it out."

"Figured what out?" Taro asked irritably, thinking that he currently had far too many things to be figuring out already without Ryuk adding to them.

"You could solve this whole problem by giving up ownership of the death note to me."

A frown crossed Taro's face. "No, I couldn't. I'd lose my memories."

"Exactly."

"What do you mean, exactly? How will I protect myself if I can't even remember anything?"

"Heh, heh, heh. You sound guilty, Taro." The boy's eyes widened as Ryuk casually flicked through the death note, stopping at the page Taro had filled with Takagi's name. "Shame Kira got to him first. Things could have been really interesting."

"Y-you mean, Kira killed Takagi?" Taro frowned. "Then… I really am innocent? But how?"

Ryuk shrugged. "The human's name only needs to be written once."

"So I guess it means that Kira must have written it before I did."

Taro thought fast. L had accused Taro of killing Takagi, but without even knowing how Kira could kill, L couldn't be sure of anything. If the death note went back to the shinigami realm now, there would never be any evidence. Taro's own behaviour would change drastically, but so what? Kira couldn't pin anything on a genuine amnesiac.

"I'll do it. I'll give it up," he said.

Ryuk chuckled. "Nice knowin' ya."

"Wait! Not yet!" Taro cried, but it was too late.


End file.
